Liam Payne's heartbroken girlfriend Kate Cassidy says he died before realising his dream of reuniting with his One Direction 'brothers'

• READ MORE: Liam Payne's heartbroken girlfriend Kate Cassidy reveals One Direction fans sent her death threats and trolled her about what she wore at his funeral after his shock death 
• Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy breaks silence on star's final days and reveals why she left Argentina before his death 
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Liam Payne's heartbroken girlfriend says the singer died before achieving his dream of reuniting with One Direction and returning to the stage. 

The singer died after plunging from a third floor balcony following a drink and drugs binge at the upscale CasaSur hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires on October 16. 

And ex-girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who accompanied Liam on his fateful trip to Argentina before returning to her Florida home two days prior to his death, says he always hoped his former band would reform.   

She told The Sun: Liam loved One Direction. It was such a huge part of his life and career. Who didn’t love them? 

'I think everybody had hopes for a reunion at some point. Liam would have been more than happy in the future to do that.' 

Formed on The X Factor in 2010, One Direction enjoyed the sort of fame not seen since the heady days of Beatlemania as they sold out arenas across the world before finally disbanding in 2016. 

All five band-members - Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Liam - went on to establish solo careers, and Kate says he enjoyed seeing them prosper away from their boyband roots. 

'He was so proud of the boys,' she recalled. 'He loved them so much he looked at them as brothers. It’s so heartbreaking that the fans will never get to see all five boys back on stage together.

'2030 would have marked 20 years since they first got together and it’s so sad that Liam will never get to relive those memories.' 

Kate broke her silence for the first time on Wednesday to dismiss cruel accusations that she abandoned Liam in Argentina before his death, adding that she had seen first-hand the harmful side of super-fandom.

She said: 'I understand that some of the more negative comments come from a place of loving Liam, and concern, and caring for Liam.

'So I understand that because I love Liam too. But for sure it's hard because obviously any criticism will get to you.'

Kate, who met Liam for the first time in 2022, posted a tribute to the singer online a week after his death, describing him as 'my best friend, the love of my life.'

She previously shared a note written by Liam before he died suggesting the couple would marry within a year and admitted she would have never left Argentina early if she knew the singer's death would happen.

She said she knew the pair were soulmates from the very first time they met, which was when she was a waitress in South Carolina, but that she had loved him since she was 10 years old, believing that they were always meant to meet.

The devastated girlfriend called the singer the most humble and charming people she had ever met and insisted she was not to blame for the death of her partner.

Kate later left her college plans behind and became a full-time influencer, a career Liam fully supported.

Now with more than 2.5million followers, she has since moved back to New Jersey after leaving the multi-million rented mansion they shared in Florida.

A report from the States claims she has been given 'living allowance' and expenses totalling around £20,000-a-month since Liam's death.